4 ms·
>it can take up to two years to qualify new satellite systems and can cost up to $30 million That's the breakthrough. A sat manufacturer does not have to desig
by ovi256 7y ago
>it can take up to two years to qualify new satellite systems and can cost up to $30 million
That's the breakthrough. A sat manufacturer does not have to design, build and qualify their own propulsion system, but can pick this off-the-shelf part from Epic Aerospace.
The equivalent in electronics would be switched power supply modules in the 80s. When they were new, a PC/TV/hifi/other high tech product design team would design their own switched power supply, spending engineering time on that. Ten years later, they would just pick one from a supplier catalogue, and spend a lot less time on just integrating it.
- hobofan 7y ago> but can pick this off-the-shelf part from Epic Aerospace And there are no existing off-the-shelf suppliers for satelite propulsion systems? That sounds unlikely.
- HeadsUpHigh 7y agoNo these systems tend to be custom due to cost, reliability and size constraints. More so for GEO satellites which tend to be the most expensive.
- branchan 7y agoIs this even true? https://gomspace.com/shop/subsystems/attitude-orbit-control-systems/default.aspx https://gomspace.com/shop/subsystems/attitude-orbit-control-... https://www.cubesatshop.com/product/ifm-nano-thruster/ https://www.cubesatshop.com/product/ifm-nano-thruster/ https://www.vacco.com/space/chems-overview https://www.vacco.com/space/chems-overview
- hobofan 7y agoThat's what I was thinking too. Those are all for Cubesats tough, none of which have gone into GEO so far.[0] [0]: https://space.stackexchange.com/a/22721 https://space.stackexchange.com/a/22721
- branchan 7y agoI didn't research every spacecraft but if you look at GTOSat, its intended orbit is GTO, so it won't really need the services of Epic since a rocket can place them there directly. And if you look at the spacecraft, it doesn't seem to have any kind of meaningful propulsion system. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/gtosat.htm https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/gtosat.htm I'm sure the other spacecrafts have a similar design concept.
- ibmont 7y agoOperating in GTO is terrible for electronics. And also, we could do GTO 2X cheaper than large rockets for even their nominal payload size. For smaller payloads, it's more like 10X.
- branchan 7y agoSo is your idea to have spacecraft go to LEO first instead of direct GTO? Is this an efficient use of fuel?
- HeadsUpHigh 7y agoIt's not a detour, you have to pass LEO to get to GTO. Instead of the rocket pushing it to GTO the tug will take over. So the rocket has more payload due to only having to go to LEO.